Water-elevating apparatus



No. 751,626. PATBNTED FEB. 9, 1904.

H. L. FROST.

WATER ELEVATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.3,1901.

H0 MODEL. I 3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WWW (My PATENTED FEB. 9, 1904.

H. L. FROST.

WATER ELEVATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 0GT.3.1901,

3 SHEETS'SHEBT 2.

N0 MODEL.

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ms NDfiRIS PETERS co. wonnn'm:vv wAsmnGYGN n c No. 751,626. PATENTEDFEB. 9, 1904.

H. L. FROST.

WATER ELEVATING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED OCT. 3, 1901.

R0 MODEL. 3 SHEETSSHEBT 3.

anon 1 u v UNITED STATES Patented February 9, 1904.

HORACE L. FROST, OF BRISTOL, TENNESSEE.

WATER-ELEVATIN'G APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part'of Letters Patent No. 751,626, dated February9. 1904.

Application filed October 3, 1901. Serial No. 77,480.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HORACE L. FRos'r, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bristol,

in the county of Sullivan and State of Tennessee, have invented a newand useful WVater-Elevating Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in water elevating apparatus ofthat type in which the water is elevated alternately from a pair ofwater tanks or compartments by compressed air controlled in itsalternate passage to the interior of the tanks above the water byautomatically-operated controlling mechanism.

The object of the invention is to improve the construction and to rendermore eflicient the operation of the controlling mechanism by providingthe apparatus with a controllingvalve and valve-mounting of novelconstruction and by effecting the automatic shifting of said valve toeffect the alternate supply and exhaust of air from the water-tanksthrough the medium of novel automatically-operated mechanism for leadingcompressed air into one end or the other of the valve-casing when one orthe other of the chambers has been delivered of a predetermined quantityof water.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide novel means for leadingcompressed air from one of the water-tanks to the controllingvalvecasing to operate the controlling-valve and for preventing the return ofair from the valve casing to the tank when the pressure in the latter isreduced, so that the complete movement of the valve will be insured bythe expansion of the air behind it.

Further and subordinate objects of the invention will hereinafter morefully appear as the necessity for their accomplishment is developed inthe succeeding description of those preferred forms of my inventionwhich I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings and which areembraced within the scope of the appended claims.

ln said d1-awings,Figure 1 is a sectional view through one form of myapparatus complete, certain of the parts being shown in elevation. Fig.2 is an elevation of a somewhat-modified form of my apparatus adaptedmore particu- (No model.)

larly for use in bored wells, the walls of the well and the casingthereof, as well as the tank of the apparatus,beingshown in section.Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of the controlling-valvecasing and certain of its connected parts; and Fig. 4: is a plan view,partly in section, of the subject-matter of Fig. 3. Fig.

5 is a detail plan view of one of the reliefvalve casings and its valve.

Like numerals of reference are employed to designate corresponding partsthroughout the views.

Referring more particularly to that form of apparatus illustrated inFig. 1, 1 and 2 indicate separate tanks or the compartments of a doubletank below the bottom walls 3 and 4, of which the side walls of thetanks are made foraminous, as indicated at 5. The bottom walls 3 and 4are provided with comparatively large ingrcss-openings 6 and 7, closedby upwardly-opening flap-valves or ingressvalves 8 and 9, serving tocontrol the ingress to the tanks of water in which the tanks are whollyor partially submerged. The water is delivered from the tanks 1 and 2through the depending branch pipes 10 and 11 of a common delivery orstand pipe 12, through which the water is raised to the desired height.The lower endsof the branch pipes 10 and 11 of the stand-pipe 12 areequipped with inwardly andupwardly opening check-valves 13 and 14,disposed adjacent to the bottom of the double tank, but removed from thevalves 8 and 9 a sudicient distance to prevent interference with theirmovement.- The water led into the tanks through the ingress-openings 6and 7 is forced into and through the branch pipes and the water-deliverypipe by fluidpressure, preferably compressed air, and I shall nowproceed to describe the mechanism by means of which the elevating fluidwill be automatically supplied to and exhausted from the tanks orcompartments 1 and 2 alternately in order that the elevation of thewater may be made continuous.

Located at any suitable point, either remote from or in close proximityto the tanks, 1 provide an elongated cylindrical valve-casing 15, havinga primary ingress or supply port 16 preferably midway between its endsand in communication with an air-pipe 17, leading to an air-compressoror other souce of supplyfrom whence the compressed air or other motivefluid is led to the interior of the valve casing for delivery to thetanks 1 and 2 alternately through the air-supply pipes 18 and 19, passedthrough the upper walls of the tanks and screwed at their ends intosuitable fittings upon the valve-casing 15. WVithin thecontrolling-valve casing is mounted for reciprocation acontrolling-valve 20, designed in different positions thereof to effectthe supply of motive fluid to the tanks and the exhaust of the fluidtherefrom, and in the preferred form of my invention (illustrated inFig. 1) the shifting of the valve is eiiected by the admission ofcompressed air into one end or the other of the valve-casing after theutilization of said air to force a predetermined quantity of water fromone of the tanks. Returning, however, for the present to the descriptionof the controlling-valve casing and its valve, the air-supply pipes 18and 19 are disposed in parallel relation and at opposite sides of theplane of the air-pipe 17 to present them opposite to and incommunication with annular supply-channels 21 and 22, formed in theinterior face of the casing 15 at opposite sides of the main supply-port16. Beyond the channels 21 and 22 the interior face of the casing 15 isformed with somewhat-wider annular exhaust-channels 23 and 24,communicating with the primary exhaust-ports 25 and 26, piercing thewall of the casing at the upper side thereof. ithin the valve-casing isfitted a longitudinally coextensive lining sleeve 27, held in place bythe casing-heads 28 and 29 and provided with a suitable openingconstituting a continuation of the primary supply-port 16. Opposite theannular supply-channels 21 and 22 the lining 27 is pierced by annularseries of openings 30 and 31, and opposite each of the exhaust-channels23 and 24 the lining is pierced by two series of openings 32 and 33 and34 and 35, the purpose of which construction will appear more clearlyhereinafter.

The controlling-valve 20 comprises a central core or stem 36, upon whichare mounted four circular heads 37, 38, 39, and 40, defined at theopposite ends of the spools 41 and provided with suitable packing incontact With the interior face of the lining. The terminal heads 37 and40 are of less thicknessthan the distance between the two annular seriesof openings opposite the adjacent exhaust-chancasing 15 the lining 27 ispierced by the ports 42 and 43, through which compressed air is The airof the tanks 1 and 2 through the escape-pipes 44 and 45, tapped into theValve-casing opposite the ports 42 and 43 and extended into the tanks.Each of these pipes is provided at a point intermediate of its ends witha backpressure relief or check valve 46 or 47, controlling a relief portor opening 46, and at the lower end of each escape-pipe is located avalve-casing 48, within which is seated an upwardly or inwardly openingescape-valve 49 or 50, controlling the escape of air into theescape-pipes from the tanks. The valve-casings 48 are located somewhatnear the bottom walls of the tanks and are provided with dependingbearing-ears 51 for the support of the float-levers 52 and 53, connectedat their outer ends to floats 54 and 55 and provided at their inner endswith openings 56, through which extend loosely the depending stems 57 ofthe escape-valves 49 and 50. The fulcrums 58 of the valve-levers arelocated closely adjacent to the valve-stems 57, and the lower ends ofsaid stems are provided with nuts 59, which are engaged by thefloat-levers when the floats are in their elevated positions. Byreference to Fig.1 of the drawings it will be noted that provision ismade for the movement of the several levers independently of thevalve-stems, the purpose of this being to permit the levers to move outof engagement with the nuts 59 under certain circumstances, and thusleave the valves free to open and close under fluid-pressure. Obviously,however, the valves will be held closed by the le- Vers until the floatshave dropped sufiiciently to swing the short ends of the levers upwardlyaway from the nuts 59,

It should be noted that while it is desirable to employ a float fornormally locking the relief-valve in its closed position to preventwater from being forced up through the escapepipe, and thereby effectingthe shifting of the 0011t1'Olling-valV prematur y, t is not desirable tooperate the relief-valve directly from the float, since such arrangementwould require the employment of a float having a buoyancy exactlycorresponding to the position at which it is desired to effect theopening of the valve. ,As it is desirable to have the reliei -valve openjust a the level of the water drops below the lower end of the escapepipe, it is possible to utilize the air-pressure ted to moveindependently of the valve it nevertheless constitutes a guide for thevalvestem, which will insure the proper seating of the valve wheneverthe latter is unsupported by the compressed air.

I shall now proceed to describe the operation of that form of apparatusshown in Fig. 1 and will incidentally refer to certain peculiarities ofconstruction and arrangement which are thought to possess specialnovelty. Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings, the compressed air or other expansive motive fluid is led tothe interior of the valve-chamber through the airpipe 17 and passesthence through the annular series of openings 30 into the annularchannel 21 and thence through the air-supply pipe 18 to the interior ofthe tank 1 above the waterline. During this passage of air the valvehead38 is diposed opposite the series of openings 33 opening into theexhaust-channel 23, and the valve-head 39 is disposed in a plane betweenthe openings 31 and the supply-port 16. The air passing into thevalve-chamber from the pipe 17 will thus be prevented from escapingexcept to the tank 1 in the manner indicated, and the controlling-valvewill be balanced by the air-pressure acting inopposite directionsagainst the opposed faces of the heads 38 and 39. The compressed airentering the tank 1 will exert sufficient pressure upon the surface ofthe water therein to force it into and through the branch pipe and thestand-pipe 12, the ingress-valve 8 being closed and the buoyancy of thefloat 5a serving to elevate the outer end 'of the float-lever 52, whichwill thereby be presented to the nut 59 to prevent the opening of theescape-valve 4:9. The expulsion of the water from the chamber 1 willfinally permit the float 54 to drop suffieiently to swing thefloat-lever 52 enough to release the escape-valve 19. The pressure ofair within the tank or compartment 1 will now raise the escape-valve 49from its seat and the air will be forced through the escape-pipe 44.After passing the escape-valve 49 the air in the pipe will lift therelief-valve 6 to close the relief port or opening 16 and will passthence into the controlling-valve casing beyond the end of the valve 20to shift said valve to the opposite end of the casing for the purpose ofexhausting the tank 1 and to establish communication between the tank 2and the source of compressed-air supply. The manner in which the exhaustis effected may best be understood by reference to the tank 2 and itsappurtenant parts, since this tank is shown in Fig. 1 as exhausting,while the tank 1 is being delivered of its contained body of water. Whenthe escape-valve 50 and the relief-valve 4C7 havebeen raised byfluid-pressure, as shown in Fig. 1 and in the manner described inconnection with the valves 4:9 and 16, the air passes on through theescape-pipe and through the port as to the interior of the valve-casing15. The pressure of air behind the valve will move the latter to theleft, this movement serving first to uncover the ports or openings 31,and thus permitting the air within the chamber of tank 2 to escape byway of the pipe 19 and the ports 31 and 34. to the exhaustport 26 in thecasing. The special utility of the looselymounted fluid operatedescapevalves will now be apparent. It will be noted that as soon as thecontrolling-valve moves sufficiently to effect a partial opening of theports 31 the compressed air Within the tank 2 will escape, quicklyreducing the pressure within the tank. If now, as in the usualconstructions, the escape-valve should be held open by the depressedfloat, the result would be that the reduction of pressure in the tankwould cause a similar reduction of pressure in the escape-pipe and inthe controlling-valve casing behind the valve, since, obviously, the airin the casing and pipe would pass back into the tank and escape. Thiseffect would be produced before the controlling-valve had reached theextreme limit of its movement, and the operation of the apparatus wouldconsequently be rendered slow and uncertain. ith the valve 50 mountedloosely, however, the reduction of air-pressure within the tank willmerely result in the closing of the valve 50 by the pressure of air inthe escape-pipe 45. The expansion of the air within the pipe and easingwill therefore complete the movement of the controlling-valve withoutregard to the reduction of pressure in the tank by the escape of the airtherefrom. As the valve reaches the limit of its full stroke under theexpansive force of the air behind it the valvehead 10 will pass beyondthe ports or openings 35 in the casing, so as to permit the escape ofair from behind the valve and from the escapepipe. The reduction ofair-pressure within the escape-pipe will permit the relief-valve 47 todrop to the position in which the valve 46 is shown in Fig. 1, thusopening the relief port or opening around the stem of the valve, and ifnow the controlling-valve is driven back by the escape of air from thetank 1 through the pipe 44 the compression of air behind the valve,which would otherwise oppose its movement, will be prevented by theescape of air through the relief-port, which, however, will be againclosed by the raising of the reliefvalve 47 under fluid-pressure afterthe water has again been discharged from the tank 2. To summarize theoperation in brief, the water which has risen in the tank 2 through thevalve 9 is forced out by air-pressure until the water-level drops belowthe escape-valve 50. The air will then pass into the end of the escape-pipe, raising the valves 50 and a7, and passing thence into thecontrolling-valve casing to shift the controlling-valve to the positionshown in Fig. 1. The shifting of the valve will permit the air to beexhausted in the tank 2 and will admit compressed air into the tank 1,from which the water will be forced through the pipe until thewater-level is lowered sufiiciently to permit the opening of the valve19 under fluid-pressure and the reversal of the controlling-valve in amanner already explained. Thus the waterwill be forced through thestand-pipe 12 from the tanks 1 and 2 alternately and in a continuousstream, the operation of the apparatus to effect the alternate supplyand exhaust of the tanks or compartments being entirely automatic.

In that form of my apparatus illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, andi of thedrawings the principle of operation just described is maintained; butasrthis type of mechanism is designed more particularly for use inconnection with bored wells where economy of space is a desideratum theescape or relief pipes are not extended into the tank-compartments, but,on the contrary, lead the air from the annular channels 21 and 22 totheends of the valve-casing to operate the controlling-valve, and insteadof the shifting of the controlling-valve being governed by the level ofthe water in the tank the escape-pipes are equipped with mechanismcapable of adjustment to insure the shifting of the controlling-Valve atpredetermined intervals of time. In these figuresto wit, 2, 3, and 160indicates a well-casing, 61 an elongated tank subdivided by a centralpartition defining compartments 1 and 2, equipped with ingress-valves 8and 9, into which compartments the air-supply pipes 18 and 19 are led,as in Fig. 1. The arrangement of the controlling-valve Casing and thecontrollingvalve is precisely the same in this construction as in thatshown in Fig. 1; but the relief or escape pipes 14 and 45 instead ofleading from the ports 42 and 413 to the interior of the tanks are ledfrom suitable connections 42' and 13 opposite said ports to suitableconnections 62 and 63, communicating with the annular channels 21 and22, formed in the interior face of the valve-casing 15. The compressedair designed to be utilized for the shifting of the valve is led fromthe annular channels 21 and 22 through the escape-pipes 414K and to theopposite ends of the valve casing, (see Fig. 3;) but in order to preventthe air from becoming effective to throw the valve prior to the lapse ofa predetermined interval of time the pipes 1 1 and 15 are provided withvalve-casings 64 and 65, equipped with needle-valves 66 and 67,controlling the passage of air through said pipes. By the adjustment ofthese needle-valves the amount of air escaping from the valve-casing 15to the escape-pipes is regulated. To further facilitate the controllingof the air-pressure within the escape-pipes, they are provided withsuitable expansion-chambers 68 and 69 and adjacent to the connections 42and 4:3 with popvalve casings 7 O and 71, equipped with springpressedpop-valves 72 and 7 3, having their stems extended through adjustabletensionregulating sleeves 7 a and 7 5, by means of which the resistanceopposed to the opening of the pop-valves may be regulated. At the sideof the controlling-valve casing opposite the connections 62 and 63 areprovided other connections 76 and 77, into which are tapped thepet-cocks 78, communicating with the annular channels 21 and 22 anddesigned to be employed for dripping or bleeding the apparatus. In thislast-described form of my invention the operation is identical with thatshown in Fig. 1 except that a' portion of the air passing into atank-compartment finds its way past the needle-valve and enters theescape-pipe'the pipe 44. 01 as the case may be. Immediately upon itsentrance into the escape-pipe, however, it is permitted to expand in theexpansion-chamber 68 or 69, and therefore a greater or less interval oftime will elapse before the pressure within the relief-pipe issufficient to force back the pop-valve and permit the escape of air intothe end of the controllingvalve casing to shift the controllingvalve,and it will appear that both the needlevalve and the tension-regulatingmechanism of the pop-valve constitute means for regulating the intervalof operation of the apparatus, since the adjustment of the needlevalvecontrols the quantity of air escaping into the escape-pipe and theregulation of the tension of the popvalve determines what pressure isnecessary to effect the opening of said valve and the ingress of air tothe controlling-valve casing behind the piston or valve therein.

It is thought that from the foregoing the construction and operation ofmy invention will be clearly apparent; but while those forms of theinvention illustrated in the accompanying drawings are thought at thistime to be preferable I do not wish to limit myself to the structuraldetails defined, but re:

-valves controlling the escape of air through said escape passages, andvalve retaining means movable independently of the escapevalves anddesigned to prevent the opening of the valves by said fluid-pressureWithin the chambers until the water has dropped to a predeterminedlevel.

2. In a water-elevating apparatus, the combination with a pair of tanksprovided with ingress-valves, and with valve-controlled water-pipes, ofair-pipes leading into the tanks, a valve-casing communicating with saidair-pipes and with a source of compressed-air supply, a shiftablecontrolling-valve within the valve-casing to control the supply andexhaust of air from the tanks, escape-pipes leading from the interior ofthe tanks to the interior of the controlling valve-casing beyond theopposite ends of the controllingvalve, escape-valves controlling theescape of air through the escape-pipes and arranged to be opened by thefluid-pressure within the tanks, and means for holding said valvesclosed until the water-level has dropped to a predetermined point. i

In a water-elevating apparatus, the combination with a pair of tanks,valve-controlled water-pipes, air-pipes leading to the tanks, andcommunicating with a source of compressed-air supply, and acontrolling-valve controlling the supply and exhaust of air to and fromthe tanks, of escape-pipes leading from the tanks and arranged to supplyair under pressure for shifting the controlling-valve, inwardly-openingescape-valves controlling the passage of air through the escape-pipes,and float-operated means for holding said escape-valves closed until thewater-level has dropped to a predetermined point, at which time thevalves will be released and permitted to open under pressure.

at. In a water-elevating apparatus, the combination with a pair oftanks, valve-controlled water-pipes, air-pipes leading to the tanks, acontrolling-valve casing communicating with the air-pipes and with asource of compressedair supply, and a controlling-valve within thevalve-casing, of escape-pipes leading from the interior of the tanks tothe opposite ends of the controlling-valve casing, inwardly-openingescape-valves located at the inner ends of the escape-pipes and designedto open under fluid-pressure, valve-retaining levers having movementindependently of the escape-valves but arranged to retain said valves intheir closed positions, and means for automatically moving said levers.

5. In a water-elevating apparatus, the combination with a pair of tanks,valve-controlled water-pipes, air-pipes leading to the tanks, acontrolling-valve casing communicating with the air-pipes and with asource of compressedair supply, and a controlling-valve within thevalve-casing, of escape-pipes leading from the interior of the tanks tothe opposite ends of the controlling-valve casing, inwardly-openingescape-valves located at the inner ends of the escape-pipes and designedto open under fluid-pressure, and float-operated levers having looseconnection with the escape-valves whereby said valves will be heldclosed by the levers until the water-level has dropped to apredetermined point, and will thereafter be opened by the fluid-pressurewithin the tanks.

6. In a water-elevating apparatus, the com bination with a pair of tanksprovided with ingress-valves, and with valve-controlled water-pipes, ofair-pipes leading into the tanks, a controlling-valve casingcommunicating with said air-pipes and with a source of compressedairsupply, a shit'table controlling-valve within the valve-casing tocontrol the supply and exhaust of air through said air-pipes,escapepipes leading from the interior of thetanks to thecontrolling-valve casing, escape-valves controlling the passage of airthrough the escape-pipes, said valves being opened by fluidpressure,float-levers controlling the openings of said valves, and floatsconnected to the levers, the connection between the levers and valvespermitting the closing of the latter independently of the levers whenthe pressure of air within the escape-pipes exceeds that in the tanks.

7. In a water-elevating apparatus, the combination with the tanks,water-pipes, air-pipes and escape-pipes, of a controlling-valve casingprovided with exhaustports and communieating with the air-pipes and alsocommunicating at its opposite ends with the escapepipes, means forleading air under pressure to the valve-casing, and a shiftalolecontrolling-valve located within the casing and controlling the supplyand exhaust of air through the airpipes, said valve also serving, whenits movement in one direction is completed, to permit the escape of airthrough an exhaustport of the casing from one extremity of said casing,and from the escape-pipe communicating therewith.

8. In a waterelevating apparatus, the combination with the tanks andwater-pipes, of a valve casing formed with annular supplychannels in itsinterior face, an air-supply port piercing the Walls of said casingintermediate of said channels, exhaust-ports piercing the wall of thecasing, annular exhaust-channels communicating with the exhaust-ports,air-pipes extending from the tanks and communicating with thesupply-channels of the casing, a lining-sleeve titted within the casingand having an annular series of openings dis posed opposite each of thesupply-channels and two separated annular series of openings oppositeeach of the exhaust-channels, a shiftable controlling-valve providedwith terminal and intermediate valve-heads fitted within theliningsleeve,and escape-pipes communicating with the interior of thevalve-casing beyond the opposite ends of the valve, said valve beingmovable to permit the escape of air from the ends of the casing throughthe exhaust-ports.

9. In a water-elevating apparatus, the combination with a water-chamber,means providing for the ingress and egress of water, means for leadingair under pressure to the chamber to force the water therefrom, and acontrolling-valve for the air; of an escapepassage leading from thechamber to the con- IIO trolling-valve to move the same, an escapevalvepreventing the return of the air from the passage when the pressurewithin the chamber is reduced whereby a full stroke of the controllingvalve is assured, and means normally locking the escape-valve againstmovement.

10. Inawater-elevatingapparatus, the combination with a water-chamber,means providing for the ingress and egress of the water, means forleading air under pressure to the chamber toforce the water therefrom,and a controlling-valve for the air; of an escapepassage leading fromthe chamber to the controlling-valve to move the same, an escapevalvepreventing the return of the air from the passage when the pressurewithin the chamber is reduced, whereby a full stroke of thecontrolling-valve is assured, and float-operated locking means for theescape-valve.

11. In a water-elevating apparatus, the combination with awater-chamber, means providing for the ingress and egress of water,

means for leading air under ressure to the chamber to force the watertherefrom, and a controlling-valve for the air; of an escapepassage forleading air'from the chamber to the controlling-valve to move the sameand provided with a relief-port, a relief-valve controlling the port andarranged to be closed by air passing through the passage to thecontrolling-valve, an escape-valve controlling the escape of air to thepassage from the chamber, and means for exhausting air from the passagewhen the proper movement of the controlling-valve has been efiected,whereby the relief-valve is permitted to open to relieve the backpressure induced by the return movement of the controlling-valve.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HORACE L. FROST.

WVitnesses:

J. E. BRADING, H. W. HOBSON.

